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SaferVehicle ChoicesSave Lives.

After many years seeing the number of lives lost on our roads decrease, concerningly, this trend has reversed. The number of Australians and New Zealanders dying on our roads is increasing.

This concerning shift highlights the need for a redoubling of efforts across all facets of road safety, where enhanced community awareness of the importance of vehicle safety is vital.

Who survives? Watch.

The background.

As Australasia’s authority on vehicle safety, ANCAP has explored possible reasons for this shift, with recent analysis of the Australian registered light vehicle fleet revealing:

older vehicles are over-represented in fatal vehicle crashes, and

the average age of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash is increasing.

Across 2015, 2016 and 2017, the average age of registered vehicles in Australia (passenger vehicles and SUVs) remained constant at 9.8 years, yet:

In 2015, the average age of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash was 12.5 years.

In 2016, the average age of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash was 12.9 years.

In 2017, the average age of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash was 13.1 years.

The oldest vehicles (those built 2001 or earlier) account for 20% of the fleet, but are involved in 36% of fatalities. In contrast, the newest vehicles (those built 2012-2017) account for 31% of the fleet, but are involved in just 12% of fatalities.

The rate of fatal crashes per registered vehicle for the oldest vehicles is four (4) times higher than that of the newest vehicles.

The campaign.

The 'Safer Vehicle Choices Save Lives' campaign has been produced to evoke community awareness and active consideration of one of the contributing factors to road fatalities - vehicle age and relative safety - and the effect safer vehicle choices can have on reducing road trauma. A ‘mistake’ on the road – whether it be yours or someone else’s – can be fatal, and the campaign aims to convey this.

The ANCAP television commercial and associated campaign materials bring to life the crash test between a 1998 Toyota Corolla and its current day equal, a 2015 Toyota Corolla, following Anne and Michael as they both start their days, oblivious to their imminent interaction – where one survives, and one does not.